IR.SIR.Lag.AscSAs

IR.SIR.Lag.AscSAs recorded () and expected () distribution in Britain and Ireland (see below)

Marine natural heritage importance

Listed under

EC Habitats Directive

National importance

Rare

Habitat Directive feature (Annex 1)

ReefsLagoons

Biotope importance

Algal patches may also act as nursery grounds for various species and birds may also feed here because the invertebrates within the macroalgal canopies may be an important food source.

Exploitation

Ascophyllum nodosum is harvested in Ireland and Scotland for use in alginates, fertilisers and for the manufacture of seaweed meal for animal and human consumption. Around 32,000 t is harvested per year. The species is also harvested in Europe, Canada and the north-west Atlantic. Poor resource management and over-exploitation have led to severely depleted populations in many regions. These factors, together with the long-recognised shortage of sporelings (David, 1943) and the failure of the species to recolonize denuded areas for decades, illustrate the need to have good management strategies and reseeding techniques.